Apparatus, system and method of receiving e-mail messages sent to physical locations

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for receiving e-mail messages sent to physical locations are provided. To receive an e-mail message sent to a physical location, a recipient must be within a range from the physical location. The range may be a default range or may be specifically identified by a sender in the message. Furthermore, although the recipient may be within the range identified in the message, the recipient may still not receive the message if a time-span within which the content of the message is current has elapsed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the method comprising the steps of: 
 requesting, by the recipient, the e-mail message; and    receiving the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.  
     
     
         8 . A computer program product on a computer readable medium for receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the computer program product comprising: 
 code means for requesting, by the recipient, the e-mail message; and    code means for receiving the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.    
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8  wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.  
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.  
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10  wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.  
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11  wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.  
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12  wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.  
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the method comprising: 
 means for requesting, by the recipient, the e-mail message; and    means for receiving the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.  
     
     
         22 . A system for receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the method comprising: 
 at least one storage system for storing code data; and    at least one processor for processing the code data to request, by the recipient, the e-mail message, and to receive the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.    
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.